


Here for You

by Quickspinner



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Domestic Fluff, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I need some Lukanette healing, Lukabug, Lukanette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Gets Support, Prompt Fic, Viperbug, Vipermouse, Vipernette, the NY special caused me pain, therapy fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:13:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 14,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26673457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickspinner/pseuds/Quickspinner
Summary: A collection of feel-good moments of affection and support between the various identities of my favorite couple, requested from a prompt list of "things you want to hear."These ficlets are unconnected unless otherwise stated.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 111
Kudos: 199





	1. Trust - Vipernette

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all I had some FEELS after the New York special and they were not great feels, so after watching Marinette suffer for an hour straight I decided I needed some cleansing. I opened up for requests for a day on my tumblr and these are the results. I hope you enjoy! I don't plan for these to have anything to do with the special so there shouldn't be any spoilers for NY, but if that changes I will note it in the tags and the appropriate chapter headers.

_"I trust you" for Vipernette_

“I need to get you somewhere safe,” he panted, back against a brick wall. He looked down at the girl curled in his arms. “How badly hurt are you?” he asked, and Marinette gave him a weak smile.

“It hurts, but no permanent damage. It doesn’t feel like anything’s broken.” 

“Okay,” he breathed out slowly, eyes darting around as he took in the situation. He still had a few minutes to reset, but...the situation wasn’t so bad right now. “Okay,” he murmured to himself, thinking through his options. “Hold on to me a second,” he told Marinette, and shifted her so that her weight was mostly supported against his chest and left arm, while she put her arms around his neck. Viperion used his free hand to reach back and grab his lyre, thumbing open the communicator screen. “Chat.”

“What’s up?” 

“I’m almost at the end of my timer,” Viperion told him. “This is the best outcome to this point I’ve seen so far, so I think we’d be better off with a new reset point, but it means I need to recharge. Ladybug probably needs to by now if she hasn’t already. Let’s regroup and meet back here.”

He barely waited for Chat’s acknowledgement before stowing the lyre and resuming his hold on Marinette. “Okay. Close your eyes, I know a safe place.”

Marinette did, and Viperion took off running for the safest place he knew. He vaulted onto the Liberty with Miraculous ease, and set Marinette down in a deck chair. “Keep your eyes closed.” 

“Where are we?” Marinette asked.

“Home. It was close by and safer than an alley, especially with those scratches. I don’t know exactly how Ladybug’s healing powers work and the last thing you need is an infection. Stay here, okay?” 

“You brought me to your home?” Marinette gasped incredulously, slapping her hands over her eyes for good measure, and Viperion smiled to himself.

“I trust you, and we have first aid stuff here. I can take care of your leg while my kwami eats. Lucky for me nobody else is home today.” 

“That’s a lot of trust for somebody you barely know,” Marinette said, sounding, to his amusement, a little miffed. 

“Maybe I know you better than you think. Maybe I have an unhealthy love of croissants and spend an unreasonable amount of time hanging around the bakery hoping for scraps.” 

Marinette mock-gasped. “You’re Mr. Ramier aren’t you?”

Viperion laughed. “You caught me,” he teased, before ducking below deck. A moment later Luka came back with an ice pack and a first aid kit, Sass floating behind him and munching as fast as possible. 

“I’m just going to clean this,” he said, wincing as he got a good look at the road rash on Marinette’s calf. “And then you can keep the ice pack on it until Ladybug fixes it.” 

“You don’t have to spend time on me,” Marinette said, the edge of worry creeping into her voice. “The others need you.”

“It won’t take me any longer to do this than it takes my kwami to eat,” Luka assured her. He’d cleaned enough bumps and bruises over the years that he acted nearly on autopilot. He taped the ice pack to her leg just as Sass swallowed the last mouthful. 

He transformed, and picked Marinette up again. “I’m afraid I can’t leave you here,” he said as she settled against him, squirming a little to get comfortable. “I trust you for my part but I am  _ not _ pissing off the bug.” 

Marinette giggled. “She gives you a hard time, huh?”

“Only over the important things,” he said warmly, squeezing her lightly. “Hang on. I’ll drop you off somewhere safe before I head back to the battle.”

“I trust you,” she said, lifting her arms around his neck, and Viperion couldn’t help a smile. 

“I know.”


	2. Dinner - Lukanette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Let me make dinner tonight."

He loved watching her work. He really did. But he could see the signs in her face. The brow that was not just wrinkled, but pinched. The lower lip that looked red and sore from the way she’d been worrying it. The dark marks on the paper in front of her that were getting increasingly jagged and her posture more hunched. She wasn’t working anymore, not really. She was brooding, which would lead to spiraling, which would end in tears soaking his shirt. 

Luka got up and went over to Marinette, sliding his hands over her hunched shoulders and gently coaxing them down. “Take a break.” 

Marinette growled. “Let me make dinner tonight,” Luka suggested, kneading her shoulders lightly. They came down a little further so that he was able to actually get his fingers in the tight muscles. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Marinette sighed, letting her pencil fall. “I can do it.” 

“I know you can,” Luka said gently, rubbing harder as she leaned into his touch. “But there’s no need. I love your cooking but I can feed us for a night. You should take a walk. Work the kinks out a little bit, and then we can have dinner and you can take a bath. You’re going to have a headache if you keep this up.” He ran his fingertips lightly up her neck and face and began massaging her forehead. “You need a break, and I need to think through this next section before I work it out on the guitar, so it’s no big deal for me to make dinner while I think and you can go loosen up your body and clear your mind. Okay?” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead “Your hand’s starting to cramp, anyway.” 

“How do you know that?” Marinette pouted, flexing her fingers. 

Luka laughed. “Someone has to know your limits, since you obviously don’t,” he teased, spinning her chair around and leaning down to kiss her nose. “Take a break. I’ll take care of dinner and you—” Marinette leaned up and kissed him and he cut off in a pleased hum. 

“I get the message,” she told him, booping his nose lightly. “As long as  _ you _ promise not to have an epiphany and leave the stove running while you get wrapped up in your guitar.”

Luka grinned, and offered his hands. “I promise not to burn our dinner to a crisp in a fit of musical inspiration.”

Marinette made a skeptical sound and raised one eyebrow even as she put her hands in his and let him pull her up out of the chair. “Text me and tell me if I need to grab takeout on the way home.” 

“Deal.” Luka leaned down and kissed her, and then pushed her gently toward the door. 


	3. Alone - Lukanette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "You're not alone" for Lukanette

“That was awful,” Marinette said flatly, slumping onto her chaise. “Absolutely awful, Tikki.” 

“They were trying to help, Marinette,” Tikki said, reaching out to pat Marinette’s leg. “They meant well.”

“I know they did, but...They just don’t get it. I can’t explain and no one understands,” Marinette moaned, dropping her head into her hands. “I feel so alone!”

“You’re not alone.” 

Marinette jumped and swung around to gape at Luka, who was standing on the ladder, holding her trapdoor open with one arm. 

“You’re not alone,” he repeated, head tilting slightly as he looked at her. “Unless you want to be.” She stared at him, and he ventured just a little farther into the room, opening the door all the way and sitting on the floor with his legs still on the steps. “Do you want to be, Marinette?”

He was so kind, his voice so gentle, and his eyes so soft, and he made everything so  _ easy _ ...but she couldn’t tell him, either, so what good did it do. She opened her mouth to tell him she did want to be alone, but her throat tightened and her eyes stung and instead she choked, “No.” 

Luka got up and stepped all the way into the room. He came to her and sat down next to her on the chaise, the angle of his body and hands making it clear she was welcome to come closer, but he didn’t move any nearer to her.

Part of her wanted to throw herself at him, but she didn’t quite dare. Instead she buried her face in her hands and sighed shakily. 

“Can I touch you?” he asked softly, and at her nod, his hand began rubbing circles on her back. She liked the way he touched her. Strong and firm, like he knew she wasn’t fragile, even if she felt it in this moment. It gave her enough courage to lean on him, just a little bit. 

“I know,” Luka said after a moment, and then hesitated. Marinette was afraid to look up at him, suddenly seized with fear over how he might finish that sentence. He seemed to change his mind though and started over instead. “We all have problems that nobody else can fix for us,” he said finally. “And sometimes it feels like no one else can even understand those problems. It’s...hard, for some people, to get that sometimes their friends don’t need help, or advice, or someone to  _ fix _ their problems. Those people are great when there’s something that needs doing, but they can be frustrated and impatient when there’s nothing  _ to  _ do.” 

Marinette made a quiet sound of acknowledgement, and gave a little sigh. It was so true. So many of her friends were  _ doers,  _ they were  _ helpers _ , or even  _ managers _ , and many times she was grateful for that, but…

“But you have other friends, right?” Luka prompted. “Quiet friends. Ones that can maybe just...sit with you. Be nearby?” 

Marinette nodded slowly as she thought about it. Nathaniel, with his quiet ways and wicked sense of humor. Mylène, kind and gentle, if still a bit timid. Juleka, dreamy and thoughtful, never inclined to make someone speak when they didn’t want to. Alix, even. Loud and unrepentant, but not prone to meddle, and more than willing to let people work out their own problems. 

Her shoulders straightened a little and she let her hands slip from her face. 

“See?” Luka said softly, his hand stilling. “You’re not alone.” 

Marinette turned and put her arms around his waist, squeezing tightly. “Thank you, Luka.” 

Luka chuckled, but apparently knew better than to say,  _ I didn’t do much _ . 

Marinette sat up and wiped her eyes. “Um...can you stay a while?”

“I’d love to stay, Marinette.” He smiled, and brushed her hair back gently. “Are you feeling a little better?” 

“Yeah,” Marinette smiled. “I was thinking about having some other friends over too, actually. Maybe...we could all go for a walk? Visit a public garden and just...get inspired?”

“I can’t speak for anyone else but that sounds amazing to me,” Luka smiled. 

“I’ll text the others, and then we can meet them somewhere?” Marinette jumped up, grabbing for her phone. She paused and turned back to him. “Thanks Luka. For...helping me see things differently.”


	4. Laughter - Viperbug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It’s so nice to hear you laugh again." for Viperbug

They weren’t doing too badly, and he was running alongside the main battle, keeping watch.

“Yes!” he crowed as he saw Chat’s cataclysm hit and the black butterfly go free. 

Unfortunately, in his distraction, he hit the ledge he was aiming for with just the ball of his foot, and with too much momentum behind him and not enough purchase to form an actual jump, he flipped off the edge of the roof. Everything around him blurred and then he landed with a thud in something soft and...smelly. 

“Ugh, gross,” he muttered, lurching up and flailing as his feet sank deeper in the garbage. “Nice one, Viperion,” he muttered to himself reaching up to grab the lip of the dumpster and pull himself up. 

“Viperion!” He heard the whizz-thump and assumed Ladybug had landed in the alley beside the dumpster. “Viperion, where are you? I thought I saw—” 

“I’m here,” Viperion grimaced as he crawled out of the bin, rolling over the lip to land on the ground. “I um...might have mistimed that jump a bit, sorry.”

Ladybug blinked at him for a moment, and then suddenly burst out laughing. Viperion smiled automatically, and the smile grew to a grin the harder that Ladybug laughed. 

“What?” he finally asked, when she seemed like she was catching her breath.

“I’m so sorry,” she gasped, leaning against the wall and wiping tears from her mask. “It’s just...because it’s you, and you  _ mistimed _ , and...time? I swear, it made more sense in my head and somehow it just struck me as really funny…because  _ time _ is kind of your thing so…” She began giggling again and ducked her head. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m being really rude—” 

Viperion shook his head and grinned, putting a finger under her chin to tip her head back up again. “Nah, don’t be sorry. It’s so good to hear you laugh again.” He winked. “Even if it’s at my expense. You’ve been so worried lately that your mask is getting wrinkles.” He poked a finger between her brows and her eyes nearly crossed trying to look at him.

“It is not!” she pouted, shoving his hand away. “Also, you stink. Gross.” 

“Ah, yeah, sorry about that,” Viperion said sheepishly, looking down at himself. Most of the debris had slid off his suit as soon as he climbed out of the garbage, but there was a definite odor still lingering. “I wonder if it’d be fixed if I changed back and powered up again,” he mused, wrinkling his nose. He grinned back up at Ladybug. “Maybe I should Second Chance us back one more time so I can manage a more heroic landing.” 

Ladybug started giggling again. “I don’t know if I trust your sense of _ timing _ anymore,” she laughed. 

Viperion shook his head, grinning again. “Beats your sense of humor at least.” He couldn’t really be made though, not when she was laughing so brightly. “Come on, get your magic ladybugs on the job so I can go home and wash this off.” 

Ladybug was laughing so hard she almost couldn’t make the throw. 


	5. Here - Lukabug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm here for you," Lukabug

“You know I’m standing ready whenever you need me,” Viperion told her, and Ladybug’s heart stumbled and stuttered unexpectedly. 

She’d heard it before, from all of the other heroes, in one form or another. From Rena. From Carapace. From Pegasus. All of them were ready, eager—almost too eager—to help. 

But it sounded different, coming from Viperion, with his earnest eyes, the hand on her shoulder, the way he leaned down a little to level with her. Not with the soft look Luka gave Marinette when he comforted her. Something a little harder, more determined and  _ intense _ , but equally sure. 

Perhaps the difference was in the way he said it, low and earnest, but without that edge of excitement that she’d seen in the others. Just the same warm, quiet steadiness he always projected. Maybe it was because she’d heard it from Luka, too, just as simply, fresh from danger he’d willingly thrown himself into, without any of the glamor or excitement of being a superhero even on the table.  _ You can count on us whenever you need help _ . 

Weeks later, she would hear it again, from Luka to Marinette, on one of the lowest days of her life. The words were different, but the sentiment was the same. The meaning behind the words never changed. 

_ I’m here for you. _

A couple of weeks after that, Ladybug was crouched on the wall bordering the Seine, looking at the Liberty. It was dangerous and probably stupid to be here, she scolded herself. The whole reason she couldn’t give out the Miraculous anymore was to keep her holders out of danger, and now here she was, and if Hawkmoth was watching, if Hawkmoth had recognized or found Luka and put surveillance on him…

It was just, she felt like such a  _ failure _ and she needed somebody to talk to, and she trusted Luka, and he always had a different way of looking at things that might be exactly what she needed right now.

Still. She shouldn’t do anything more to prove Luka was important to her. She shouldn’t be here.

Ladybug was reaching for her yoyo when a quiet call startled her. She turned quickly, nearly overbalancing, and found Luka looking up at her from the base of the wall. 

“Did you need something?” he asked quietly—well, as quietly as he could and still be heard. He jogged up the stairway that ended beside her but stopped when he was still below her. “Can I help?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing, I just...um, I just needed to take a break, and now I’m done, so I should get back to patrol.”

“Are you sure?” Luka asked, head tilting slightly. 

Ladybug deflated a little, sitting down on the wall and hanging her legs off of it. “No,” she sighed. “But it’s not safe for me to be here, Luka. I could be putting you and your family in danger. It’s better if I just go.” 

“Hey,” Luka said, leaning over the rail and reaching up to lay a hand on her ankle—pretty much the only part of her he could reach, but somehow it made her feel warm. “I’m here for you. If you need me, even if it’s just to listen, I want to do whatever I can.” 

“But—”

“I know,” he cut her off, pulling his hand back with a sharp gesture; clearly irritated. Not at her, she sensed, but at something else. The situation, probably, or maybe even Chloe. “I get that it’s risky, Ladybug. The thing is,  _ no one _ in this city will be safe if something happens to you, including me and my family. So if you need me,” he shrugged. “Like I said, I’m here for you.” 

They looked at each other for a moment, and Luka straightened and backed off a couple of steps. “I”m not intending to pressure you,” he said. “I’m sure that’s the last thing you need. So...I’m going to go, and just know if you change your mind, I’m here. Any time, any where, including on the Liberty.” 

“Thanks, Luka,” Ladybug sighed with a smile that she hoped didn’t look as tired as she felt. “Really.” 

Luka nodded, and went down the steps. Ladybug watched him pass below her along the bang, and then suddenly she called. “Wait!”

Luka turned and Ladybug pushed off the wall to drop on the sidewalk. 

Unfortunately she didn’t consider what a drop that size would look like to a civilian (even a former part-time superhero). Luka’s eyes widened slightly and he moved to catch her. His lunge toward her threw her off and nearly landed them both in a heap on the sidewalk, but Ladybug just barely managed to catch Luka around the waist and lever them both upright.

“Whoa,” Luka muttered, staring at her, and then jumped back out of her hold like she’d burned him. 

“Sorry,” he said, shoulders slumping slightly as he ruffled the hair at the back of his head. “That was dumb. You being who you are.”

“It was a little bit,” Ladybug giggled, “But it was dumb in a sweet way, so...” She rubbed a hand along the opposite arm. “Um...still up for that talk?” 

“Yes,” Luka said quickly. “Of course. Come on, no one will see us once we’re below decks.” 


	6. Plans - Lukanette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "So, I made plans for us," Lukanette

Marinette was still deeply asleep when someone gently shook her shoulder. It took a moment to dredge herself up from slumber, but she made the last few stages in a rush. She woke with a jolt and gasped, striking out at whoever was touching her. “Easy, easy,” a familiar voice soothed, and she blinked stupidly at Luka as he rocked back on his heels to give her what space the little alcove allowed. “It’s just me. Sorry, I asked your mom to wake you and she told me to do it myself.” Luka grinned. “Guess now I know why.” 

“Luka?” Marinette said blearily, jerking her blankets up to cover herself. “What are you doing here?”

Luka’s smile softened, and Marinette suddenly felt much more awake. She blushed, reaching up self-consciously to pat her hair, which she knew had to be a mess. 

“You finished your exams yesterday,” he said, reaching down to pick up a to go cup on the floor beside him and offer it to her. “So, I made plans for us. I know you probably have a million things you think you have to do, so you can pick and choose. You’ve been working really hard, though, and I wanted to pamper you at least a little.” He wiggled the cup slightly. “Starting with this. Honestly, I expected you to be awake by now, or I would have waited. Sorry about that.”

“It’s...okay,” Marinette smiled, taking the cup shyly. It smelled like coffee and cinnamon and when she sipped it carefully, it was perfect. “Mm. Thank you. But you had exams too! You should be treating yourself, not me.” 

Luka’s smile grew even softer if that were possible. “I am.” He reached out a hand as if he was going to touch her face, or maybe her hair, before he remembered himself and pulled back, blushing faintly. His hand went awkwardly to pat her blanket-covered knee instead. “Come down when you’re ready,” he said, shuffling his lanky form on the narrow platform to get turned back around towards the stairs. “I have stuff to make crepes downstairs, and we can talk about what else sounds good. I was hoping I could take you on a bike ride and we could get out in the air for a while, maybe visit one of the gardens. You’ve been cooped up in here a lot lately.” He glanced back at her with a hint of nervousness. “I just want to spend time with you, if that’s okay. I don’t mind what we do.”

Though she blushed deeply, Marinette smiled at him. “That sounds great,” she said, and he relaxed a little. 

“Good. You can shower after breakfast if you want, but do whatever you need to do to be comfortable, and I’ll be in the kitchen. No rush, no pressure, okay?”

Marinette nodded, and Luka disappeared down the stairs. 

Tikki popped up by her pillow. “Aww, that’s so sweet of him, Marinette!”

“Yeah,” Marinette admitted, cheeks glowing as she sipped her coffee. “It really is. He’s so...he’s always thinking about me.”

“You should let him take you out,” Tikki advised, patting her face gently. “You have been staying inside too much and you’re all cramped and curled up. You need to get out in the sun and get some fresh air. Stretch your legs.”

“Mm,” Marinette acknowledged, picking at her blankets. “I was going to get started on those designs and piece that top together, but...I hate to disappoint him after he went to so much trouble.” He probably knew that, too, the sneak. She knew he wasn’t above subtly guilting her into relaxing if he thought she’d been working too hard. She giggled to herself. 

“Well,” she said, reaching up to tickle gently under Tikki’s chin. “Let’s see what all he has planned. Maybe I can sneak some productivity in while he thinks he’s spoiling me.” 

Tikki giggled back. “I bet he’ll catch on to you though. He knows you just like I do.” 

Marinette smiled as she sipped her perfect coffee. “Yeah. He really does.” 


	7. Breakfast - Lukabug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Breakfast in bed?" for Lukabug
> 
> This one's continued from Chapter 5, sorta. That was the context I had in mind when I wrote it, at least.

Marinette blinked awake slowly, unsure what had woken her. Something was different. Everything was different. Everything  _ smelled  _ different. Familiar, but wrong. 

Still sleep-fogged, she brought a hand up to rub her face and gasped, eyes flying open to stare at her hand—her  _ gloved _ hand—in horror. She looked around quickly and her heart rate tripled as she realized where she was—recognized the flowery wallpaper and curtain, rolled over to see the amp and guitar beside the bed, and the corrugated partition. 

She was in Luka’s room. She’d fallen asleep in Luka’s bed. 

As  _ Ladybug. _

Oh no.

“It’s okay. No one’s home. Mom and Jules already left and they still don’t know you’re here.” 

Marinette— _ Ladybug _ —shot up to a sitting position, eyes wide and panicked and hands gripping his plain white sheets. 

Luka smiled in his calm way. “It’s really okay. You stayed transformed all night, and Juleka—that’s my sister, if you didn’t know—she’s really not a morning person. She didn’t even look this way.” He lifted the tray in his hands. “So. Breakfast in bed?” 

That was enough of a surprise that Ladybug laughed, her hands lowering slowly as she began to relax a little, panic subsiding. If Luka said she was safe, she must be, although she was still embarrassed. Luka gave her a lopsided smile and came to sit on the bed, setting the tray between them.

“I’m really sorry,” Ladybug sighed, dropping her head in her hands. “I didn’t mean to stay here.” 

“It’s okay,” Luka said, because of course he would. “I told you, I’m here for you. Whatever you need. And clearly part of what you needed was sleep, so. It was fine.” He motioned to the tray, which had a haphazard collection of fruit, yogurt, and croissants piled on it. “It’s not much but it’s what we had. The croissants aren’t exactly fresh but they’re from Tom and Sabine’s so they’re good even when they’re not.” 

Ladybug smiled and picked up a piece of fruit to nibble. 

“What time is it?” she asked. 

“Almost nine,” Luka replied, and Ladybug winced. At least it was Sunday, so she didn’t have to be at school and her parents would be busy in the bakery, so hopefully they hadn’t checked on her. She really needed to get home, though…

Luka’s hand rested on her knee and squeezed lightly, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Eat first,” he advised. “Eat and drink and then you can go home and do whatever you do when you’re not superheroing. If you want to feed your kwami I can leave the room for a bit.”

Ladybug shook her head. She trusted Luka, but it was too risky. Better to just get home and feed Tikki there. 

Luka sighed, and she looked up at him. “I know why it has to be this way,” he said slowly, looking intently into her face. “But...I want you to know. I understand the risks, and I’m willing to take whatever burdens you’re willing to share.” 

Ladybug looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment, and then shook her head, regretful. “I can’t,” she murmured.

Luka sighed again, but all he said was, “Okay.” He reached out to squeeze her shoulder. 

Ladybug moved the tray out from between them and scooted over so she could lean against him, the last of a croissant still in her hand. Three bites left, and then she would have no more excuse to stay. She’d have to leave. She should have left already, but…

Three more bites. She settled against Luka’s shoulder, and took one, chewing slowly. “Thanks for being there for me, Luka,” she said, before taking the next. 

“Of course.”


	8. Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "We're in this together," for Lukabug

She felt herself hit the pavement, felt the skid that would have torn her up without her suit. 

Then she heard the beep, and her eyes, which had been shut tight as she gritted her teeth against the impact, flew open. 

“Oh no,” she gasped, hands going to her ears, but then someone was gripping her arms, hauling her up. Ladybug looked back toward the akuma and saw Chat at the edge of the rooftop, staring down at her in horror. She flapped her hands at him as whoever had her began to pull her away— _ Go! _ —and he nodded, throwing himself back at the akuma, trying, she was sure, to lure it away from her. 

“This way,” a familiar voice hissed, and she looked over her shoulder into Luka’s grim face. “Under here, quick.” 

She obeyed automatically, stumbling along in the direction he was pulling her. They barely made it under the awning he’d been aiming for before a pink glow engulfed her. Luka threw himself on her, curling around her and pressing her face against his body. “Everybody make a wall,” he shouted, “Hurry!”

Marinette gasped in panic, gripping his shirt. “It’s okay,” Luka said quickly. “I’m not looking. Nobody’s looking. You’re okay.”

Marinette raised her face enough to peek. Luka’s eyes were tightly closed, and when she shifted to see beyond his shoulder, all she saw were people’s backs. They were standing shoulder to shoulder, arms linked, and not one head was turned towards her. The awning above them and Luka’s body shielding her would keep her from being visible from the rooftop. 

Her breath hitched and tears welled in her eyes. 

“It’s okay,” Luka soothed, the hand on the back of her head smoothing her hair gently for a moment, though she could feel it shaking. “What do you need?”

“I—um,” Marinette stammered, hand falling to her purse. She’d already used her emergency stash. “Cookies? Something sweet.” 

“I have some,” a lady in the line said, breaking her link with the people beside her to dig in her purse. “They’re probably not great,” she muttered as she searched. “I put them in here last week in case my nephew—here!” She squeezed her eyes shut tight and reached behind her with the pack.

“Thank you,” Marinette said gratefully, reaching up to take it. The woman turned forward again and locked her arms back with the people on either side of her. One of them, a burly man in a leather vest, chuckled.

“That was a hell of a slide,” he joked. “Good thing our local hero’s such a badass. I’ve seen grown men take a slide like that and cry like babies.”

Marinette swallowed, and then tried to joke, “Well. To be fair, I’ve got better protective gear than they do.” A chuckle went through the crowd. She ripped the package open and locked eyes with Tikki as the kwami took it and began eating hastily. They both knew how dangerous this was. All it would take is one person to let their curiosity get the better of them, and her secret identity was sunk. 

But no one was looking. Every person in the small crowd of Parisiens that had been on the street when she fell was facing away from her, resolutely. 

Marinette settled back against Luka, just in case, keeping her face as hidden as she could in his shoulder, shuffling closer between his knees so as little of her could be seen as possible. 

“Thank you, Luka,” she breathed, quiet enough for only him to hear. 

“Hey,” Luka smiled, eyes still closed. “We all know what would have happened to this city if you weren’t here to protect us. We can’t all be superheroes—” He paused and swallowed hard, and Marinette knew he was thinking of Sass and Miracle Queen. “But we’re in this together, right? No matter what.” 

There was a murmur of agreement in the crowd, and Marinette couldn’t stop a few tears from spilling over, dropping on Luka’s hoodie. She hid her face deeper in Luka’s shoulder, desperate to keep any of these people from hearing their hero cry. 

There was a light tap on her shoulder. Tikki was ready. 

Marinette cupped Luka’s face in her hands and pressed her lips hard to his cheek. “You’re still a superhero,” she breathed in his ear, and then whispered, “Tikki, spots on,” and the power rushed over her. 

The line of people around her relaxed. Luka peeped one eye open and then opened the other with a relieved grin. He stood up and offered her his hand. Ladybug took it, amused to see he was blushing, and looked around at the people of her city as she let him pull her to her feet, meeting every eye. She wished she could think of something to say, to tell them how grateful she was, but there was a crash a couple of streets over and her head snapped in that direction. Luka’s did too, and he sighed as he looked back at her.

“Be careful,” he said, and stepped back to give her room. 

One more look around the line of people, a tight smile and a sincere, heartfelt “Thank you,” was all that she had time for.

The small crowd cheered as she tossed her yoyo and swung away. 


	9. Thinking About You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I can't stop thinking about you," for Lukanette. (I didn't end up using the actual words, but the sentiment is there)

She was sitting with her back against the arm of the couch and her feet tucked under Luka’s thigh.  _ He _ was sitting much closer than necessary considering the size of the Liberty’s couch, but Marinette didn’t mind it any more than Luka seemed to mind her using him to keep her feet warm. 

He gave no sign that he noticed her eyes on him other than a twitch at the corner of his mouth and the slightest curve of a smile. 

She blushed faintly and dropped her eyes back to her book. It was boring, though, assigned reading that she didn’t want to do just  _ because _ it was assigned, and instead she just stared at the page, listening to the meandering tune coming from Luka’s guitar. It wasn’t the type of thing she was used to when he was having to work out a melody; there was a certain amount of repetition involved in that process as he tried different combinations of notes and rhythms. This one wasn’t repeating, just...wandering. 

“What are you thinking about?” Marinette asked, wincing a little at the abrupt break in their comfortable silence. 

Luka took it in stride with a one-shouldered shrug, a quick side-glance with a half smile, and his quiet, smooth voice saying simply. “You.” 

“Me?” Marinette tilted her head slightly, surprised and wondering if she shouldn’t be. “That didn’t sound like me.” 

Luka made an affirmative noise as his fingers slid along the neck of the guitar, producing a trilling sound that reminded her of laughter. “You’re usually much more focused. Driven. You’re...untethered, today.” 

That was a characteristically kind way of putting it, Marinette thought with amusement. “I am kind of wasting time today,” she sighed, closing the book and tossing it aside. “There’s probably a thousand other things I could be doing.” 

“I wouldn’t call it a waste,” Luka said quietly, and Marinette winced. 

“Oh, I didn’t mean—I’m so sorry, that’s not what I meant  _ at all _ !”

Luka gave her another side-glance-and-smile, with a wink this time. “I know. That’s not what I meant, either. I like spending time with you no matter what we’re doing, or not doing, but what I meant was, sometimes you need to let your mind just float a little. Give it some room to wander.”

“Is that what you do?” Marinette asked, “When you’re in between songs?”

Luka smiled to himself. “It used to be.” 

“Used to be?” 

“My mind seems to like where it’s at for the most part these days.” Another wink, and Marinette blushed deeply.

”Maybe I should go, if I’m so distracting,” she said, but Luka just laughed—not his usual chuckle, but a full, rich sound that had her smiling before she realized it. Quickly she pulled her mouth down into a pout. “What’s so funny?” she demanded, and then pulled one of her feet out from under him to shove him. “Luka!”

“It’s funny,” Luka chuckled, finally raising his head to look at her directly. “That you think I think about you  _ less _ when I’m not with you.” 

Marinette stared at him for a moment, and he gave a slight quirk of his eyebrow, mouth still twitching as if he were going to start laughing again any moment. 

With a huff, Marinette grabbed her book and hid her red face behind it, along with the giddy smile she couldn’t keep back any longer.


	10. Time Off - Lukanette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I took a day off work tomorrow," + "lets go to the park," Lukanette

“You look stressed.” 

Marinette jumped, knocking her pencil case off the desk. She tried to catch it but only knocked it away further, raining its contents as it went. She groaned, grabbing her hair and pulling.

A warm hand squeezed her shoulder and she jumped again, though not so violently, as Luka knelt down next to her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, picking up the supplies that had just scattered across her floor. “Your mom said I could come up, but I should have known you were busy when you didn’t answer my texts. I’m sorry for interrupting.”

“Oh, Luka, no,” Marinette sighed, jumping up to help him. Or at least, she started to, but Luka still had his hand on her shoulder, and he pressed down lightly, keeping her from rising.

“I got it,” he said, reaching one long arm for a pencil that had rolled under her desk. “Just breathe for a minute. You’ve been really tense lately.” 

“Sorry,” Marinette said reflexively, but Luka just chuckled and shook his head, dropping the last of her things into her case and setting it back on her desk before turning on his knees to face her. 

“It’s not something you have to apologize for. But I was hoping I could help. That’s why I’m here, although,” he raked his fingers through his hair, looking a little embarrassed. “I guess I could have just called instead of disturbing you. Sorry.”

Guilty, Marinette reached out her hand Luka met it with his own. “No, don’t be sorry. You’re right, I have been stressed and I’m happy to see you. You do help. I’m sorry for being so cranky.” Even as she spoke she could feel her shoulders coming down a little, and muscles relaxing that she hadn’t even known were tense. Luka’s quiet presence always had that effect on her, as if something about his very being reminded her to slow down and breathe.

Or maybe he had just said it to her enough times that it was reflex by now. 

He squeezed her fingers gently, bringing back her wandering attention. “It’s not something you have to apologize for,” he repeated. “I was hoping I could convince you to take a break, though. I took a day off work tomorrow and I was hoping I could convince you to spend it with me. It doesn’t have to be a date,” he added, as Marinette’s cheeks pinked. “Just, like I said, you’ve been tense and stressed out and I want to help. Let’s go to the park. We can get some snacks, take a bike ride. Just get out in the fresh air and sunshine for a little bit.”

“Like you don’t get enough fresh air and sunshine,” Marinette teased, poking his darkly tanned arm. “Between the boat and the bike, are you ever inside for anything besides sleep?”

“I’m inside now,” Luka pointed out, with a slow smile, eyes twinkling. “Can’t say I’m missing the sun much at the moment.”

Marinette wanted to say something equally smooth and clever about Luka himself being a breath of fresh air, but she couldn’t quite think straight when he looked at her like that, so intently. He seemed to realize it, as he blinked and dropped his gaze. 

“Besides, we’re not talking about me,” he continued. “We’re talking about you, and you need to get out a little bit. So, what do you think? Can I pick you up in the morning for a stress-free day?” 

“Day?” Marinette blinked. “Luka, you don’t have to spend your whole day off with me.”

“I want to, though,” he smiled. “It’s the whole reason I asked for the day off to begin with.”

“You—asked for a day off so that you could spend it with me? Without even knowing if I would say yes?” Marinette gaped at him for a moment, and then covered her face with her hands. “That’s... _ so _ Couffaine.”

They both laughed. “Well, I didn’t want to ask you and then find out I  _ couldn’t _ get the day off,” Luka pointed out, and then got to his feet. “You can think about it if you want. Text me and let me know what you decide, okay? I’ll let you get back to work.“

“I’ll walk down with you,” Marinette said, standing up. 

“You don’t have to,” Luka assured her, but she just smiled up at him.

“I want to.” 

She thought she saw the faintest color on his cheeks as he paused for just a fraction of a second, and then he gestured her ahead of him down the stairs. “After you, then.” 

A sudden impulse seized her as she passed him and she slipped her hand into his. She didn’t look back to see his reaction, but the slight jerk on her hand before he moved after her told her she’d surprised him. She bit her lip against a smile, and kept hold of his hand all the way down into the bakery, where she led him to the counter.

“Mom, got anything I can put in a box for Luka?” she asked as Sabine looked up and smiled at them.

“Oh, I don’t, you don’t have to do that,” Luka stammered, and Marinette felt a surge of glee at having surprised him three times now. 

“I want to,” she said again, looking over her shoulder to smile at him. He was definitely blushing now, though he still looked relaxed and calm otherwise. 

When she turned back to the counter, Sabine was already holding a box out to her. 

“I’m glad to see you taking a break, dear,” Sabine commented as Marinette took it. “You’ve been working so hard.” 

“Mmhmm, just a short one right now. I want to finish this project tonight if I can,” Marinette said cheerfully, turning to hand the box to Luka. “Luka and I have a date tomorrow.” 

It was funny, watching Luka freeze, because he didn’t stiffen like a normal person. He just became absolutely still, and possibly even stopped breathing. 

It only lasted for a moment, and then he was giving her a slow smile, all of his natural intensity suddenly ramped up to eleven and all of it fixated on her, and Marinette was the frozen one as he gently took the box from her hands. 

“I’ll pick you up in the morning. Is nine too early?”

Marinette’s mouth moved but nothing came out.

“She’ll be ready!” Sabine exclaimed in an oddly breathless voice. 

“I’ll be here,” Luka said, without looking away from Marinette, and then finally his gaze slid away and she could breathe again as he nodded a thanks and goodbye to Sabine. 

Both of them waved dreamily as he went out of the door, and both stood frozen for a moment after he was gone. 

Then they looked at each other, and Marinette flushed bright red, putting her hands on her cheeks. Sabine pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath. “My  _ goodness _ ,” she muttered, and then looked at Marinette, and they both started to giggle. 


	11. Anything - Lukanette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I feel like I can tell you anything," Lukanette

It had become almost routine. Their thighs pressed together as they sat close on Luka’s bed. His hand on her back, rubbing firm circles. His chest under her ear, rising and falling calmly. His heart beating under her cheek, occasionally erratically but usually steady. 

“I feel like I can tell you anything,” Marinette sighed. “And at the same time I can’t, because the things I want to tell you, involve secrets that aren’t totally mine.” She peeked up at him to give him a crooked smile. “I don’t know if I’m even making sense.”

“You are,” Luka assured her. “I get it. So...tell me what you feel comfortable with. Leave out the details, and just...give me the broad strokes. Start by telling me how it makes you feel.”

“It makes me feel…” Marinette pondered a moment. “Lonely. Busy. Overwhelmed, a lot. I mean, sometimes it’s great and I feel really confident and in control and I know exactly what to do. But...but that’s just...in the moment, I guess? Once the moment passes and I have time to think, I start second guessing and overanalyzing, or I let something else get in the way of the decisions I know I need to make. When I make a mistake, there’s real consequences, and it all just gets to be so much.”

“That sounds like a lot,” Luka observed gently, without judgement. The first few times, she had looked up to check, but either he had an excellent poker face, or he genuinely wasn’t admonishing her. Now, she didn’t even bother to check, just groaned and pressed her face into his jacket. 

“I really do feel like I can tell you anything,” she mumbled. “And it’s so dangerous.” 

“Why?” Luka asked, the hand on her back rubbing a little harder. “Marinette, I don’t want to—I mean I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t  _ make _ you tell me anything, but if these secrets are hurting you, can it really be so bad to share some of them? I just...I wish you didn’t have so much on your plate. If I can help, I want to.”

“I know,” Marinette whispered, and her hands came up to cling to the lapels of his hoodie. She took a deep, shaky breath, and then another, fighting a war within herself that she was getting increasingly tired of. Luka’s hand slipped up to cradle the back of her head, and she felt so safe and cared for in his hold— 

“I’m Ladybug,” she blurted, and then gasped and jerked back, slapping her hands over her mouth in horror, staring at Luka with wide eyes.

His own usually-sleepy eyes were wide and awake as he stared back at her. He leaned back on his hands for a moment, blinking at her. 

Then he said, “Shit.” 

Marinette began to laugh and burst into tears at the same time.

“I didn’t say that,” she mumbled behind her hands. “You didn’t hear it. Oh, no, I couldn’t have just done that! Nonono—”

“Whoa, hey,” Luka sat forward again, taking her wrists gently to pull them away from her face, and then cupping her face in his own hand. “Breathe, Marinette. You’re shaking. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” 

“No, no, it isn’t,” Marinette wailed. “I can’t tell, I’m not supposed to tell anyone!” 

“But you did,” Luka told her, pulling her back against his chest and holding her tightly, one hand rubbing her arm. “Listen. You can’t take it back, okay? You said it and it’s done, so don’t even worry about that part anymore. it’s out there and now we have to deal with it. What happens now? What do you need from me?” 

“I—” Marinette’s mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, and Luka squeezed her tighter.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Just breathe for a minute.” 

“He’s right, Marinette,” piped up a squeaky voice, and Tikki popped out of Marinette’s purse, floating in front of them. She swooped forwards and patted Marinette’s cheek, and Marinette’s eyes nearly crossed trying to watch her. “Just breathe. He’s right, it’s done. There’s no use in panicking over it.” 

“Hi,” Luka said, his voice slightly strangled, and Marinette bit back a hysterical giggle. 

“Hello, Luka,” Tikki sighed, turning to wave at him. 

“But,” Marinette wasn’t sure when she had grabbed onto Luka’s jacket again but her fingers tightened in it now. “The rules. I’m not supposed to—”

“Marinette, you are the Guardian now,” Tikki reminded her, holding her flippers up with a slightly helpless shrug. “There is no one else. You make the rules. You can’t give up your Miraculous and you can’t take it back so...Luka’s right. We’re just going to have to make this work.” 

Marinette whined and buried her face in Luka’s shirt. “I’m so stupid,” she groaned. “And you! Why do you have to be so easy to trust?”

Luka’s chuckle was maybe a little higher pitched than usual, and she wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse. “I’d say I’m sorry but I don’t think I actually am,” he admitted, running his fingers through his hair. “Just. Wow. That’s a lot, Marinette. God, no wonder you’re—” he stopped, but Marinette had no illusions about just how obvious it must be to him that she was barely holding herself together. Luka sighed, and cradled her back against him. “What do you need from me?” he asked again. 

“I…” Marinette’s panic wasn’t quite gone, but it was subsiding, and in its wake she felt...lighter. More relaxed. Or at least, less tortured and twisted up. “I don’t think I need anything,” she confessed, leaning into him. “Maybe...Maybe I just needed someone to know.” 

She felt his hand start to stroke her hair gently. “Okay then,” he said. “Now I know.”

He made everything sound so simple.

Still. He  _ knew. _

Marinette slumped against him, suddenly exhausted. She hadn’t realized how much effort it had been taking to hold back the secret all this time. “Now you know,” she sighed, burying her face in his shirt. “I’m...I’m tired,” she whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open. Luka shifted. Marinette, giving up the battle, closed her eyes and moved with him as he laid them gently down on the bed. She squirmed as close to him as she could get, head pillowed on his shoulder and face pressed into his chest, and then she was asleep.

Beside her, Luka listened to her breathing even out, and then sighed deeply. “Shit,” he muttered again, one hand unconsciously smoothing Marinette’s hair. After a moment, he said, “Hey, kwami friend?” 

The little red kwami that had come out before moved into his field of vision. “Hello Luka,” she said, sounding both cheerful and worried. “I’m Tikki. It’s nice to meet you.” She did a little flip in the air, and added, “It’s so much more convenient that you’re already familiar with kwamis. Less screaming.” 

Luka couldn’t help chuckling at that. “Nice to meet you too, Tikki. So.” He glanced down at Marinette. “How much trouble are we in here?” 

Tikki floated down and perched on his pillow, and Luka moved his head a little to keep her in view. “I don’t know. This is very unusual. It’s dangerous to you both for the secret to be shared. But…” She looked mournfully down at Marinette. “But,” Tikki sighed, “It doesn’t do any good to keep the secret if it breaks her. Clearly, this was something she needed, or she wouldn’t have passed out like this. I’ve been so worried about her, Luka. She’s a great Ladybug—one of the best. But she’s still so young, and her spirit is so—” Tikki shrugged, helplessly. “She’s not made for isolation and secrets.”

“Yeah.” Luka pressed his lips together, and then gave a little shrug. “Well, now she has me. We’ll have to be careful, but…” 

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Tikki agreed.

“We’ll talk about it more when she wakes up,” Luka sighed. “For now, let’s just let her rest. We can take everything else one step at a time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you ever think that maybe sometimes she just wants to blurt it out and get it over with? Just, pull an Iron Man and say eff it, I'm Ladybug.


	12. Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You're good enough," Marinette to Luka
> 
> This one is continued from the previous chapter.

When Marinette woke, she was alone, but it didn’t scare her. She was comfortable and more relaxed than she’d been in a long time, and the gentle rock of the Liberty along with Luka’s god awful wallpaper a few inches from her nose were more than enough to ground her as she clawed her way up from sleep. Music was playing from a speaker somewhere, which wasn’t surprising, but the song playing was. Not the usual Couffaine style. Her curiosity gave her enough energy to sit up, drag herself off the bed, and open the door of Luka’s room. 

“The only way to live now is to know you’re gonna fly, don’t listen to the lying liars and there lies,” Luka’s voice rang out, and Marinette followed it to the main room. Marinette covered her hand to keep in her laughter when she saw Luka behind the galley counter, dancing in place as he put together two plates of snacks. Tikki sat on the counter beside him, munching on a cookie. Based on the crumbs on the counter, it wasn’t her first one. She smiled as best she could with her puffy cheeks and waved to Marinette. 

“I know she’s superwoman, I know she’s strong,” Luka sang, “I know she’s got this because she’s had it all along. She’s phenomenal, and she’s enough…” 

Marinette couldn’t stop the giggles anymore when she heard the way he altered the lyrics, and he stopped singing as he looked up. 

“Hey,” he smiled, not the least bit embarrassed that she could. “Feeling a little more rested?”

She nodded. She did, actually. Rested and...lighter. “Much, thank you.” She tilted her head slightly, indicating the music. “Really?” she grinned.

Luka shrugged. “I maybe needed to process a little, and well, if the song fits, it fits.” He winked at her. “We don’t music shame in this house. Probably listened to it a dozen times in the last hour.” He reached over and tapped something on his phone, restarting the song, and then held out his hands to her. When she took them, he pulled her in to dance with him, swinging their hands between them. “I might write a Kitty Section cover. I bet Rose would love it. Maybe we could convince Juleka to make it a duet. They’d be amazing.” 

“Rose _would_ love it,” Marinette grinned, moving with him. Gosh, when was the last time she danced, just for fun? Was it really Clara’s video? “And that would be amazing, the two of them together. Although I like your version too.”

Luka grinned. “I know you’re superwoman,” he sang, as Marinette laughed. “I know you’re strong. I know you’ve got this cause you’ve had it all along. You’re phenomenal, and you’re enough. I don’t need to tell you who to be—” He cut off with a slight _oof_ as Marinette threw herself into him and hugged him tight. 

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Oh, Marinette,” Luka sighed, slipping his arms out from where she’d pinned them and wrapping them around her. “I only wish I could do more. You’ve got so much piled on you.” He hesitated slightly. “Tikki and I have been talking, and we had some thoughts, if you want to hear them. It’s...it’s not much,” he admitted, blowing out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. “When I think about it it seems like practically nothing at all. I wish—” He broke off and looked away. 

Marinette leaned back a little, and took his face in her hands so she could make him look at her. “Luka. Even before you knew, nobody has done more for me than you. You’ve always let me just be whatever I needed to be, and that’s been so important to me. Now, just...just knowing that you know...that you see me…it’s enough. I feel so much better already.” She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs, not quite able to look in his eyes, afraid that what she might see there would overwhelm her. “I don’t need you to be a hero or fix everything or come up with all the answers. You’re good enough, Luka, just like this.”

Luka let out a shaky breath, and then wound his arms around her, pulling her close, cradling one hand behind her head to guide it to his shoulder. 

“Unbroken and still beautiful,” he sang softly with the end of the song, and Marinette snuggled closer, holding him tight.

In a few minutes, they’d have to let go, and they would have to have that talk, and then she would have to leave, to go back to the lies and the secrets that she lived every day. 

But Luka would still know. And for now, that really was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the song here is Kelly Clarkson, Broken and Beautiful, which I’ve probably heard a million times but only really listened to just recently. Of course I went looking for covers, because I love covers, and I didn’t find many, but I did enjoy [this one](https://youtu.be/vqkdDgABHRE) and I keep imagining Rose and Juleka doing it this way together. (not really sure about the whole singing while driving while filming a video thing, but nobody died, so we’ll just ignore that)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Let’s go to the park,” Vipernette or Vipermouse
> 
> I kept the setup this one pretty vague; you can read it as sort of canon compliant or more of an AU, and decide who knows what about whom as you please. Really Marinette doesn't even have to be ladybug and it still works. Enjoy. 
> 
> Two updates today, so be sure to back up a chapter if you missed the last one.

“It’s a bit late to be out by yourself.” 

Marinette jolted, and then looked up, and saw a familiar figure in shades of teal, green, and yellow perched on the light pole above her. She huffed, and relaxed. “I don’t need to worry when the city is so well protected.” 

The superhero above her smiled, and flipped down off the light, landing on the sidewalk in front of her. “We can’t be everywhere all the time. You should still be careful, Marinette.” 

“I am careful,” she told him, with a slight toss of her head. “And I’m not exactly helpless. Viperion, right?” 

He smiled and inclined his head. “May I walk you home?” 

Marinette blinked, surprised. “I don’t want to interfere with your...patrol, or whatever you’re doing.” 

“I’m finished. I was just about to call it a night when I saw you. I can go if you’d rather not have my company, but I’d feel better if I knew you were safe at home.”

Marinette shrugged and started walking, the superhero falling into step beside her. They walked in silence for a while.

She jumped when Viperion finally spoke.

“Can I ask why you’re out so late by yourself?”

“I wasn’t by myself originally. I was out with my friends, but…” she sighed. “I just wasn’t feeling it tonight. Someone scolded me for bringing the whole group down, so I decided they could just carry on without me.” She made a face. “I’ll probably get an earful about it tomorrow, but if they’re going to lecture me whether I’m there or not, I might as well go—” she paused.

Viperion touched her arm gently and she shook herself. “Sorry,” she sighed. “It just occurred to me that I don’t actually want to go home.” 

“Then don’t,” Viperion shrugged, to her surprise. He smiled when she looked at him. “Let’s go to the park.” 

“It’s locked,” Marinette replied automatically, and then flushed at the amused look Viperion gave her. 

“Oh no,” he deadpanned. “Whatever shall we do?” 

“Don’t make fun of me,” she muttered, shoving his shoulder, and he laughed. It was a nice laugh, she thought. 

“There have to be some perks to being a hero,” he teased mildly, and Marinette pouted. 

“Do you take girls to the park after midnight often?” she sniffed, and Viperion chuckled. 

“Ladybug’s pretty strict about using our powers for personal reasons.”

Marinette gave him a look up and down. “Somehow I feel like you don’t need the super suit to jump a fence.” 

Viperion grinned and shot her a wink, and didn’t say anything else until they reached the fancy iron fence around the park. “May I?” 

She let him loop his arm around her waist, and put hers around his neck for stability. One quick jump and they were on the other side of the park’s iron gate. Marinette giggled as she slid free of his grip and let her hands fall. 

“I feel like this is not the sort of behavior heroes should be encouraging,” she teased, wandering down the walk with Viperion trailing behind her. 

“Well, it’s possible that fighting supervillains in life-or-death battles on a daily basis changes your way of thinking when it comes to which rules are really important,” Viperion mused. When she glanced back at him, he shrugged and grinned. “Or maybe I’ve just always been this way.” 

Marinette giggled again, and wandered over to a bench. The stone was cold when she sat on it, and she shivered a little. Viperion took out his lyre and leaned back against a tree across the path, propping one foot against it. For some time Marinette just sat, listening to the tune he plucked as he let her have some space with her thoughts. She wondered if she was imagining the reflectiveness of his eyes in the shadows where he stood, or the watchful way they darted around. 

She shifted, suddenly uncomfortable, and his eyes snapped back to her. Viperion pushed off his tree, stowed his lyre, and came to sit next to her, waiting. 

“Ladybug puts a lot on you guys,” Marinette observed at last, looking at her hands. “Do you ever feel like it’s too much?”

“No,” Viperion replied, so decisively that Marinette looked up at him in surprise. He met her gaze and shrugged. “I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s a lot. Still, those of us given this responsibility, at least we get to  _ do _ something, and personally, I’m really tired of being a victim.” 

The repressed anger in his voice surprised her, and he looked away from her, breathing slowly and deliberately, in through his nose, and out through his mouth. After a moment he grinned, and nudged her shoulder with his. “And let’s be honest, someday I want to be able to walk a pretty girl home without worrying about having to guard her from an akuma.” 

Marinette flushed, both with embarrassment at the implication that he found her pretty, and shame that she’d been in such a bad way that he thought she needed protection. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking down. 

Viperion’s finger curled under her chin and lifted her face back up so his green-gold eyes could look into hers, and he spoke slowly and seriously. “Don’t ever be sorry for feeling. “It’s not a crime to be sad, or angry, or frustrated. If you did attract an akuma tonight, it wouldn’t be because you did anything wrong.” He smiled, and his hand shifted to stroke his thumb across her cheek. “I wish you weren’t sad, but not just because of Hawkmoth. A girl like you deserves better, that’s all.” He glanced up at the clock built into the park’s gate, and looked back at her. “It is getting very late though. You seem like you’re feeling better. Do you think you’re ready to go home now?” 

“Yes,” Marinette sighed reluctantly, but she smiled as he helped her up from the bench. “Thank you for being my hero tonight, Viperion.” 

“I’m your hero always, Marinette,” he said in a low voice, and then his eyes widened and for the first time that night, he blushed beneath his mask. Marinette had to bite her lip to keep in her smile and reign in her giddy, racing thoughts. Her breath caught as he picked her up bodily without warning to jump the fence again. When he set her on the ground on the other side, she took the arm he offered and kept her head down, thinking they both probably needed a moment to recover. 

He walked with her to the side door of the bakery, and waited as she got out her keys. 

“Thanks again,” Marinette told him, and rose up on her toes and kissed his cheek. Instead of pulling back, she hesitated. He turned his face slightly towards her, eyes questioning, and she pressed her lips hastily to his. He leaned into it, and encouraged, she shifted slightly and kissed him again more fully on the mouth. He leaned into that too, his mouth warm and pliant against hers, but then he sighed and pulled back, his hands gently holding her elbows to keep her from following. “I can’t.”

Marinette settles back on her heels with a thump, covering her suddenly red cheeks. “I’m sorry, of course you can’t,” she blurted, “That was really stupid, I don’t know what I was—”

Viperion put two fingers on her lips to stop her, his expression soft as he gazed at her. “I’ll treasure it. Goodnight, Marinette. Be well.” He caressed her cheek one last time, and then he was gone, with only the pounding of her heart to prove he had ever been there at all.


	14. Important

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You're important to me," for Viperbug.

“You’re humming again,” Ladybug murmured, smiling to herself. She wasn’t particularly comfortable, perched on a rooftop overlooking the Grand Paris, but it wasn’t too bad. 

“Sorry,” Viperion chuckled in her earpiece. “I can’t help it. I can play, or I can talk, or I can hum, but I can’t sit here doing none of those and still keeping watch.” 

“You’re supposed to be the chill one,” Ladybug chided.

“Chilled, is more like it,” Viperion sighed, and Ladybug frowned.

“Are you cold?”

“A little bit,” He admitted. He was stationed on a rooftop on the other side of the Grand Paris, keeping watch just as she was. “You?”

“Yeah,” Ladybug admitted. “And I’d still rather be out here freezing my butt off than in  _ there _ .”

“Same,” Viperion chuckled, as Ladybug leaned over to peek down at the party they were guarding. 

The people she could see looked cheerful enough, if bored, but Ladybug knew better than to get complacent. An akuma attack was practically guaranteed when Chloe Bourgeois hosted a party, and Ladybug had no intention of being caught off guard this time. Chat had begged off keeping watch with her tonight, citing responsibilities in his personal life, so Viperion was on watch with her instead. Ladybug wasn’t particularly confident at their ability to spot an akuma at night without Chat’s vision, but at least they could be on the spot as soon as a possession occurred, and hopefully minimize the damage. 

“I definitely prefer the company out here,” Viperion continued, and Ladybug huffed. 

“You’re not about to go all Chat on me, are you?” she said, only half-teasing. It gave her a slightly sick feeling to think Viperion might be trying to flirt with her. She liked him—she liked  _ Luka _ , but she thought—she hadn't thought it was _Ladybug_ Luka was interested in... 

His easy laugh made her relax. “No offense, Ladybug, but there’s not many people’s company I wouldn’t prefer to that crowd.” 

Ladybug giggled. “Well, I can’t disagree with that.” 

For a while, they were silent, both scanning the night for a flash of purple and the flutter of black wings across the stars and city lights. 

Then Viperion took a deep breath. “Ladybug.” 

Ladybug blinked, taken aback a little by his serious tone. “Yes?”

“How are you doing?”

Ladybug blinked again. “I’m...fine…a little cold, yeah, but the suit keeps most of the wind out, so I’m fine.” 

“I don’t mean right now,” Viperion said, and she wished she could see his face. “I mean, in general. How are you holding up?”

Ladybug had to take a minute to think about that and decide that she couldn’t possibly answer that truthfully. Luka was already taking so much of her civilian self’s pain, she couldn’t heap Ladybug’s on him as well. “Why do you ask?” she said instead, so that she didn’t have to straight up lie to him. 

There was a sound like the strum of his lyre on the other end. “You have a lot on your shoulders. I don’t see it easing up any time soon. If you want to talk, I’m here.” 

“You’re not going to have anything left for yourself if you keep offering your support to everyone else,” Ladybug said, trying to sound light and playful, but knowing she came off a little sharp.

Another chime from the lyre. “I’m not trying to pry.” He was so much better at controlling his voice than she was. Ladybug sighed. 

“I know you’re not.” 

They were silent for a moment, and then Viperion said softly, “I don’t do it for everybody.” 

Ladybug blinked. “Oh,” she replied lamely, since he seemed to be waiting for it. 

“You’re important to me,” he went on, the faint notes of his lyre in the background. “I mean, you’re Ladybug, you’re important to all of us, you’re important to the city, but...you’re important as a person, too. As a human being. You’re not just important because you’re Ladybug. Whoever’s under that mask, she matters too, so...yeah.” He trailed off, sounding a little uncomfortable for a moment, and her eyebrows rose. “Anyway, don’t worry about me. I’ve got a great support system, and I’m not looking to take on the world’s burdens, but I like to make sure the people who are important to me are okay.” 

She was still trying to find a reply to that that wouldn’t give away too much when he changed the subject abruptly. “Do you need me to talk to Chat?” he asked.

Ladybug’s mouth dropped open, and it took her a long moment to find words. “Talk to Chat about what?” she asked finally, even though she knew. Because Viperion was Luka, and Luka was Luka, and Luka noticed things, and Luka had very firm ideas about right and wrong when it came to some things.

“About the flirting. Since he doesn’t seem to be listening to you.” 

“Oh...no, that’s sweet, Viperion, but that’s really not necessary,” Ladybug replied, glad he couldn’t see her blush. “It’s really not that bad, I can handle it, and he’s gotten better, some.” 

“Hmm,” he said, and sighed, and Ladybug cringed slightly. “If you’re sure,” he said quietly. “I just want you to know, the offer’s there. Just in case you need some backup.” 

“I don’t need backup against my own partner,” Ladybug scoffed, leaning her chin on her fist and pouting, since he couldn’t see her anyway. 

“Good,” Viperion replied, and she cringed again, because she knew that even, nearly flat tone—knew that it meant he didn’t fully believe her. “Let me know if that changes. You have enough to worry about without that kind of...behavior.”

Ladybug smiled to herself, because she knew, too, that he’d changed his choice of word at the least moment. She hunched her shoulders. 

“I know he’s a lot and his sense of timing can be really inappropriate,” she began, but Viperion cut her off.

“Please don’t,” he sighed. “I trust your judgement and I’m not trying to put pressure on you one way or the other. I just—I wish I could help more, and I know I can’t do very much because of the identity stuff but I can at least be another voice reminding Chat about priorities, if you need it.” The connection fuzzed a bit as he blew out a sigh. “If you think it’s not a problem, then I won’t say anything to him. I know that he’s a good guy, and I know he’s important to you, but you’re important to me, and I’m here if you need me. Anything I can do to make it easier on you.”

Ladybug smiled at her hands. “Thank you,” she said. “And thanks for checking, instead of just...jumping in. For trusting me to know what’s best. I actually haven’t been getting a lot of that lately. It’s nice to know someone’s looking out for me. For the girl under the mask.” 

“Of course,” Viperion replied, and she smiled because she could tell he was smiling too. 

There was a scream from the ballroom below them. Ladybug sighed. “That’s our cue. 

“Second Chance,” Viperion said in her ear. “Round one. Right behind you, Ladybug.” 

“Let’s go,” Ladybug tossed her yoyo, and swung off the roof. 


	15. On My Own - Lukanette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You can do this on your own. I believe in you." Lukanette 
> 
> I posted this one and the last close together, so make sure to back up a chapter if you missed it!

“Perfect,” Luka smiled as Marinette finished her speech and let her shoulders fall slightly as she looked at him for approval. “You sound great, Marinette. You’ll be fine.”

Marinette sighed, pulling a rubber band from her pocket and winding it around her index cards. “It’s easy when it’s you, or Maman and Papa.” She paused and frowned. “Well. Actually, Maman and Papa are so enthusiastic they’re kind of distracting, but still. It’s easy when it’s with you. Alya’s okay, too, but she’s a natural at this kind of thing and she gets impatient that it doesn’t come as easily to me.” 

Luka held out his hand, and she took it and allowed him to draw her down to sit by him on the bed. “I know it’s scary and you really want this presentation to go well,” he said, rubbing his hand firmly across her back. “But you’ve really got this.” 

“You know how I get when I’m nervous,” Marinette groaned, leaning into him. “Word salad.”

“I do,” Luka acknowledged. “I also know how amazing you are under pressure. Once you get started, you’ll be fine. You won’t have time to panic anymore and you’ll do great. You just have to keep yourself from getting psyched out by the waiting beforehand, and you said you and your mom had worked on some techniques for that already.” 

“Yeah...I’m just not used to doing things by myself in front of strangers,” Marinette confessed, twisting her fingers anxiously. “Usually I’ve got a group, or else I’m presenting to my classmates. And my parents—” She paused, blushing slightly as she glanced at Luka.

“Are there for everything,” supplied Luka, squeezing her shoulder to let her know he wasn’t offended. “But you’re getting older, Marinette, and no matter how much they want to, they can’t be there for everything any more. You’re amazing and the more people see that, the more opportunities you’re going to have, and the more times you’ll have to do presentations and interviews like these.”

“I know that,” she said in a small voice, hunching in on herself slightly. “I just...I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“I understand if you feel that way emotionally,” Luka said, moving his arm around her in a half-hug. “This internship program is a really big deal. But mentally, you’ve got this. You’ll do it the first time, and every time after that it’ll get easier. Like auditions, right? They’re never  _ easy _ , but there’s a rhythm to them, and you get used to it. You’ll find your rhythm, I know it. You can do this on your own. I believe in you.” 

Marinette sighed, and turned toward him, and he enveloped her in a full hug, nice and tight just the way she liked it. “Thanks Luka,” she muttered into his shirt. 

“Anytime.” Luka smiled.

Marinette sat up and smoothed her hair back. “One more run?” she asked, and Luka smiled, leaning back on his hands to look up at her as she got to her feet. 

“Sure. As many times as you need. Maybe slow the beginning down a little? It sounded fine the way you did it, but if you get nervous you’ll probably speed up, so it might help to practice it extra slowly.” 

“Right.” Marinette snapped the rubber bands off the cards, took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and began again. 


	16. I love you - Lukanette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The prompt for this one was “I love you," for lukanette but specifically Marinette confesses to a very taken off guard flustered Luka

His head hurt. His everything hurt, actually, and he was blinking at the sky, which was definitely not what he’d been looking at a moment ago. 

There was something seriously messed up, he mused as he lay sprawled on the road along with all the other debris scattered by the akuma’s sonic wave attack, about the fact that his instinct was now to run  _ towards  _ explosions. He hadn’t had a miraculous or a super suit or a plan or anything except the vague feeling of  _ someone might need help.  _

Luka wondered if it was just him.  Was he just a special kind of stupid, or could you identify all of the heroes of Paris by their tendency to run _ towards  _ akumas while everyone else was running away?

The ringing in Luka’s ears was only just beginning to fade, and he felt a grudging respect for the akuma’s powers. It took quite a lot to affect him that way after years of souped up amps and screaming guitars. Luka touched his face gingerly, wincing at the sting. He’d skidded and rolled a fair distance across the pavement, with no mask or supersuit to protect him from road rash. 

Ow. “Dumbass,” he chided himself, as he pushed up to sitting. He was scraped up, but it didn’t hurt too much to move, so maybe he could— 

As the ringing in his ears receded, he became aware of someone screaming his name. Luka looked around and saw Marinette running towards him. His eyes widened. 

“Marinette,” he gasped, trying to get to his feet. “I didn’t know you were here, are you—mmph!!” He fell back on his ass as she barreled into him, and then her mouth was crushed against his, her hands fisted in his hoodie. “Stupid!” she grunted, shaking him slightly before she kissed him again. “Jerk! What were you thinking?”

Luka tried to answer, but words were hard when she was kissing him. Damn, that hurt; he was pretty sure his lip was busted. He felt a bit cheated. She leaned back, and he opened his mouth to answer her questions (and maybe ask a few of his own) but Marinette cut him off again. 

“Kiss me back, idiot,” she ordered, and kissed him again, softer this time, and though he was still confused he did kiss her back despite the pain. He hoped he wasn’t bleeding on her anywhere. 

When she pulled back the first thing that came out of his dumbass mouth was, “Why are we kissing?” 

Marinette gave him an exasperated, but affectionate look. “Because I love you, and you were really stupid just now, and you scared the crap out of me.” 

Luka blinked. “Oh,” he said lamely. “That’s uh...news.” 

“We’ll talk about it later,” Marinette sighed, grabbing the tail of his shirt and pulling it up to wipe the blood off his chin. “How badly are you hurt?”

“Not bad,” he grunted, reaching up to touch a sore spot on his head. Yep, there was a pretty good lump there. “Everything hurts more or less, but nothing hurts like it’s broken. Just got knocked around a bit.” He paused. “You love me?” 

Marinette slapped his chest and Luka jumped. “Focus! You’re supposed to run  _ away _ from explosions, you jerk!”

“I had to help!” he protested, leaning back weakly on the pile of debris behind him, and Marinette rolled her eyes. 

“I don’t have time for this,” she snorted, but she sounded more regretful than irritated. 

She pulled him up by his hoodie and kissed him again, hard, and he couldn’t help a little cry as she smashed his split lip into his teeth. “Stay. Right. Here.” she ordered, and Luka swallowed.

“Okay,” he managed. 

“I’ll be back in a minute,” she declared, turning around and marching towards the debris field as if she were personally intent on kicking the akuma’s ass. 

“Marinette!” Luka began in alarm, “Where are you going?” 

She only raised one finger as if to say  _ wait _ and kept walking. “Right back,” she repeated, “And you’d better still be here.” 

Luka just stared for a minute, open-mouthed and goggle-eyed, before his brain switched on and he yelled, “I love you too!” after her. Marinette turned to walk backwards for a few steps as she blew him a kiss.

Wait. She was walking  _ toward  _ the akuma. And that  _ voice _ when she told him to stay put. 

“Shit,” he gasped, still gaping in the direction she had gone. Groaning, he flopped back on the debris pile again. “Be careful,” he muttered, sighing. He’d get up and go after her in a moment. He just...needed a second.

Although she told him to stay put. And he didn’t really want to contemplate the consequences of disobeying her. He’d scared her, she’d said. If he went now, injured and unarmored, she might be distracted, and that wouldn’t be good at all. 

She loved him. Luka grinned, and winced at the sting in his split lip.

Ladybug must have been  _ motivated  _ because it felt like no time at all before the magical ladybugs swirled around him. And was it his imagination, or did they linger a bit longer than usual? If he didn’t know better, he’d think they were fussing over him.

He couldn’t believe he was blushing because of magic bugs. “This day is so fucking weird,” he muttered to himself, as the ladybugs finally shot upward and dispersed. He stared at the sky for a minute, shaking his head, which at least no longer hurt. When he lowered his gaze, he saw Marinette running towards him, and grinned, pleased that the sting was gone. “Weird, but awesome,” he muttered, getting to his feet and opening his arms to catch Marinette as she threw herself at him.

It was a much better kiss that time.


	17. Lucky - Vipermouse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm the luckiest man alive," Vipermouse

There was a familiar box tucked unobtrusively in the usual corner by Luka’s bed when he got home. He grinned and pocketed it. If he were urgently needed, Ladybug would have found him directly, so this must just be a patrol or some other low priority assignment. He waited for dark to make his escape from the Liberty (not that it was hard) and find a secluded alley to transform. 

For a while, he just ran, leaping between buildings, enjoying the wind in his face and the stretch and pull of his muscles. He loved life on the boat, but it was definitely a little cramped, and he had long ago found that he enjoyed it when his brief superhero stints gave him a chance to just run. Preferably with nothing chasing him.

A familiar laugh sounded behind him, and the small smile on his lips turned into a wide grin. Okay, there were some things he didn’t mind chasing him. 

Multimouse landed beside him in a flash of grey and pink, matching his pace easily despite his longer legs. 

“Hiya handsome,” she giggled, and Viperion grinned wider. “Fancy meeting you here.” They made the jump to the next building in unison, both landing in a roll and coming up on their feet. Instead of continuing the run, they turned together and joined hands. 

“It’s really good to see you,” Viperion said, tugging her a little closer and twining his fingers through hers. “It feels like it’s been forever since I saw you like this.” 

“Well, you know how it is,” Multimouse shrugged, avoiding his eyes. “Ladybug doesn’t just hand these out everyday.” 

Viperion hummed an acknowledgement, bending his head close to hers. “So what’s the occasion tonight? I didn’t even get a note this time, just the box.”

“Um,” she faltered, and then gave him a bright smile. “Training exercise?” 

Viperion laughed. “For me or for you?” 

“A little of both?” she suggested. 

“Do you—I mean, did Ladybug have something particular in mind?” he asked, pulling her again to close the small distance between their bodies. “Or are we just winging it?” 

“I had some thoughts,” she said, freeing one hand to walk her fingers up his chest and flick his nose. “If you’re game.” 

“Always,” he said, a little breathlessly, and she leaned in and winked one big blue eye at him. 

“Then close your eyes,” she whispered, and he did it without hesitation. 

Her lips pressed his briefly in reward, but then she was gone, her body moving away, and her hands slipping from his. Viperion kept his eyes closed, squeezing them a little tighter against the bright flash of light at her cry o _ f Multitude _ . 

“Start counting!” a voice laughed from somewhere around his feet, and he did, counting out loud as a smile twitched his lips. 

“Ready or not, here I come,” he finished, opening his eyes. The rooftop appeared deserted, and he began his hunt. He tried to hide his smile at the little giggles echoing across the roof. This particular roof had a lot of outcroppings and vent equipment on top, so it took him a few tries before he finally swung open a vent cover to find a Multimouse curled inside.

“Found you,” he grinned, and the Multimouse tried to pout and giggle at the same time. Viperion held out his hand, and she hopped onto it. He lifted her up to his face. “Time to pay up,” he told her, and grinned when she kissed his cheek. She folded her arms and looked up at him with a cheeky grin. “So,” she asked, and he had to chuckle at her little voice. “Which one of us do you like best?”

It was a familiar tease, and the response was always the same. “The one I'm holding, of course,” he grinned, and then set her down on the rooftop, leaving her to find a good vantage point while he hunted out her companions.

Eleven more Multimice and eleven tiny kisses later, he sat cross legged on the roof with all of them perched on various parts of him. He was pretty sure she’d change back soon, but it was kind of fun being petted and smooched and loved on by tiny girlfriends. He just had to be careful not to make any sudden movements. 

Sure enough it was only a few minutes before Viperion had to shield his eyes, and when he lowered his hand he grinned at the sight of his reformed, lifesize girlfriend sitting across his lap. 

He had to admit, as cute as the tiny smooches were, he really liked the full-size version. Well, as long as they were making out, no one could happen by (a deserted, windowless skyscraper rooftop on in the middle of the night) and see her face while Mullo ate. 

Viperion whined a little bit when she pulled away and stood, until she called back her suit. Damn, he loved that suit. And she knew it too, the little minx, with the way she folded her arms and cocked her hips, and beckoned him with one finger. 

He got up and went to her and kissed her again, and when he pulled back Multimouse giggled, booping his nose lightly. “You look very satisfied with yourself,” she observed.

“Are you kidding? I’m dating the three most amazing girls in Paris.” Viperion shot her a grin. “I’m the luckiest man alive.” 

Multimouse’s eyebrows shot up. “Three?” 

“Yep. Marinette, and you,” he leaned close, the words he whispered so quiet they were more air than sound, “And Ladybug.” Viperion stepped back, biting down on his grin as he watched her eyes blow wide. 

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” he laughed. “I mean, I didn’t for a long time, I’ll admit, but once we started dating...” He put his hand on her hip and squeezed gently, then slid his hand to the small of her back and pressed so that she stepped towards him. Her folded arms pressed stubbornly against her chest as she pouted up at him. Viperion bent and kissed her cheek, and then her jaw, and then caught her pouting lip lightly between his teeth before kissing her fully. 

He felt her relax and the sigh when he let her go was as much relief as anything else. He hadn’t been sure how she’d react to finding out he knew. 

“I didn’t realize I had so much competition,” she said, looking coyly up at him through her lashes and tracing the diamond on his chest. “So which one is your favorite?” 

He grinned at the twist on the usual joke. “The one I'm holding, of course.”


End file.
